Hero
by Mondhase
Summary: With the fate of the universe on his shoulders, Adam is forced to make the hard call and do whatever it takes to ensure the timeline is safe. Even if that means working with the enemy. - Spoilers for episode s01e08 "Savage Night."


Adam's steps are fast, purposeful, as he makes his way up the impressive stairs leading to the halls of the lawmakers guild. He does not want to delay this any further, because a, who knows what crazy and potentially successful plans Seg and the others could come up with at any moment in order to stop Brainiac and b, he is afraid that if he actually gives himself time to think this course of action all the way through, his resolve might falter, leaving him with no way to save the future.

Superman's future.

" _My grandson. Your_ _ **obsession**_ _."_ Seg was not entirely wrong with this accusation, Adam is well aware of that, and yet it is not the whole truth, either. Yes, he does not want to live in a world without Superman, but he is also not entirely sure there will actually _be_ a world without Superman. And no matter how many times he has already pointed that out, Seg would not – could not – understand it.

So where does that leave him? What more can Adam possibly do to save the timeline, if there is no more point in trying to convince Seg and the others? And when he alone is so hopelessly outmatched, if he actually were to go up against General Zod? No, Adam needs allies, someone who is just as interested as himself in having Brainiac's attack play out the way it is supposed to. That is why he now enters the lobby of the lawmakers guild, stopping only when a group of Sagitari blocks his path, weapons aimed straight at his chest.

"Whoa, guys, there's no need for that," he tries to reassure them, hands raised in an instant. "I'm here to talk to the Chief Magistrate. It's important, trust me." At this point the guards all take a simultaneous step forward, their guns giving off a soft hum as they are being charged. Adam heaves an exasperated sigh in return and shakes his head ever so slightly, wondering why he even bothers with that line anymore...

"Alright, fellas, so here's the deal," he finally addresses the Sagitari once more, fed up with what he can only assume is a general Kryptonian trait of being utterly unhelpful. "I'm unarmed and I have information about Black Zero, Jayna-Zod and all her friends who are involved in that little revolution of hers. But I'm only gonna talk to Daron-Vex, so unless you really want to insist on wasting everyone's time here, I suggest you lower those weapons already and take me to your goddamn leader!"

He is too irritated right now to even appreciate how long he has been wanting to say this line, and merely glares at his opponents, willing them to get a move on. The standoff lasts for another few seconds until one of the guards facing Adam finally lets his weapon sink and signals his team to do the same. The Sagitari follow the command without hesitation, prompting the human to reassume some of his earlier charm.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it? As I said, I'm only here to help and—"

At this point Adam brakes off as the lead Sagitari suddenly closes the distance between them and the rifle butt of the soldier's weapon collides painfully with his head. The next moment he is crashing to the cold stone floor beneath him, stars obscuring his vision.

" _Ouch_ ," Adam groans, dazed, yet relieved to at least still be conscious. Before he can press his fingers to his temple to check if he is bleeding, rough hands yank him up to his knees. The next thing he knows, Kryptonian handcuffs are once again slapped around his wrists, making him grit his teeth. How he hates those things...

"What the hell, guys?" It is as much accusation as question, but Adam is not even surprised anymore as he does not receive an answer. Instead he is manhandled yet again as the Sagitari begin to drag him down the corridor. The inside of his skull is throbbing far too painfully for him to even consider putting up any resistance and so instead he just focuses on getting his bearings again. He can only hope that his captors are not heading towards the holding facilities of the building, because even though the Earthling has no doubt that he would eventually be able to talk himself out of there again, it is not a delay he can afford right now.

It is only as they enter Daron-Vex's office that Adam realises he has reached his intended destination after all. Relief washing over him, he even bites down the quip he is about to make as the Sagitari drop him to the floor unceremoniously and instead directs his next words at the Chief Magistrate, who wonders about his identity. Adam has pulled himself up from the ground by now and is back to his knees, his head held high as he proclaims the one thing he wishes more than anything would actually be true for Seg, for Kandor and for all of Krypton.

"I'm your saviour."

* * *

"I suppose you want something in exchange for this… information."

This information on the resistance he is offering to give up. Names, hiding places and plans, everything Adam knows not only about General Zod and Black Zero, but also about Jayna-Zod, her daughter and all the others who are willing to risk their lives in order to save Kandor from Brainiac's impending attack and thereby Krypton from its future doom.

Adam is feeling sick to his stomach right now and as much as he tries to convince himself that it is merely nausea resulting from the earlier blow against his head, he knows that that is a pathetic lie. He cannot even begin to recall the number of times he has asked Seg and his friends to trust him and yet here he is, selling all of them out to the biggest asshole on the planet he could find. Although, not _all_ of them...

"I want Seg-El delivered to me safe and sound first. To ensure that he's out of Kandor before it's taken."

Of course he has to get Seg out of here first, to protect the timeline and Superman's lineage. Adam tries to block out the nagging thoughts about what the Kryptonian would do to him if he knew where he is standing right now, let alone what he _will_ do should something happen to Lyta once the fighting begins. Not that it matters, obviously. Adam does what he has to, as he has been doing since the moment he decided to come here, and whether Seg or anyone else can understand that makes no difference. Or so he likes to tell himself...

"Seg-El? What does he have to do with this?" Daron-Vex inquires in response to Adam's condition, still not seeming entirely convinced by the proposal to begin with. Not that Adam would blame him for that, considering he is not entirely convinced, either. There is no turning back at this point, though, and so he stays the course, willing himself to do everything he can to lay the groundwork for Brainiac's conquest.

Everything, with one exception. Seg-El. There is no way that Adam would willingly put the Kryptonian at risk, nor let Brainiac or any of his followers know of his true importance in the course of history.

"Well, Darren, I'd tell you," he replies, deliberately slipping over the Chief Magistrate's name. "But I don't want to." It's the honest truth and Adam takes as much enjoyment out of this small act of defiance as he can muster.

"It's Dar _on_ ," the Chief Magistrate corrects him in lieu of any further questions, but the blond man merely flashes him the most shit eating grin he can muster right now in response, too self-assured at this point to worry about potential repercussions for his behaviour. The Kryptonian needs him, just as he himself does in return. They are allies by necessity, nothing more, and the human sees no reason to pretend otherwise or to hide the contempt he feels for the other man.

He clearly does not need to, either, as they quickly come to an agreement after this. Seg-El's safety in exchange for information on the people who know the truth about Brainiac, that is the deal they make. Adam even insists on sealing it with a handshake, much to Daron-Vex's confusion, but then it is done. Once he has received a quick rundown of the resistance's main leaders and their base of operation, the Chief Magistrate quickly leaves his office in order to gain the Voice of Rao's support for an attack, leaving Adam behind with only his thoughts for company.

Thoughts that make for increasingly difficult company, however, as they become ever more tumultuous, the longer he is left alone with them. Instinctively he fishes for the lighter and cigarettes in his pocket, smoking having become his go-to vice in stressful situations a long time ago. Probably right around the time he began letting people down, Adam muses, but before his mind can linger on any of them – on Alanna – for too long, he decides to focus instead on what lies ahead of him.

Soon, Daron-Vex will deliver Seg to him and the two of them will be on their way out of here before the resistance and then Kandor itself falls to Brainiac's forces. General Zod will find his end somewhere in between all the chaos and Krypton's history – and with it Superman's – will be back on track.

Simple.

Right?

Adam ignores the slight tremble in his fingers as he flips one of his cigarettes into his mouth, wondering briefly if he will soon have the chance to stock up again. Oh, how he was initially looking forward to going home after all of this! To step in front of the Justice League – in front of Superman himself – and to announce that it was him who saved the Man of Steel's life.

 _Yeah, no big deal. You're welcome!_

But now...

How is he supposed to look the greatest hero in the universe in the eye and tell him that in order to save his life, he had to ensure that his entire planet and civilisation was annihilated?

Adam stops short of lighting his cigarette and lowers his hand instead as he steps closer towards the window. Daron-Vex's office offers a magnificent view across the towering skyscrapers of Kandor, by now tinted in a gorgeous red hue by the light of Krypton's sinking sun. His gaze wanders over the city's skyline and he imagines the hundreds of thousands of people inside of it, who knew nothing about their impending fate. The buildings, as well as the surrounding streets, bustling with life, hubs of Kryptonian society and culture. All of it soon to be gone.

The first step to total destruction.

Adam moves once more to light his cigarette, but his hands are properly shaking by now, hampering the effort. He tilts his head backwards and lets out a heavy sigh as he closes his eyes, before finally putting both the lighter and the cigarette away in defeat.

Yet despite his own body's insistence to the contrary, in his mind Adam knows that he is doing the right thing. The _only_ thing. The timeline has to be protected, no matter the cost, that much he is certain of.

If only that meant he could erase the look on Seg's face from his memory that the Kryptonian gave him when he told him they would have to sacrifice Kandor and with it eventually his entire world for the sake of the future. Or that he could get rid of the bitter taste in his mouth that he cannot seem to shake ever since he has come to that realisation.

He came here to stop Brainiac, to save Krypton – at least for the next 200 years – and Superman with it. He wanted to be a hero. To be who he _should_ be.

" _I was_ meant _to have that Zeta Beam device._

 _I was_ meant _to be a hero._

 _I was_ meant _to save Superman and I will not let anyone stand in the way of my destiny."_

Lofty words of a fool, that much Adam has realised by now.

Obviously he is going to save Superman, there is no question in his mind about that, but if it is actually his destiny to be a part of all this death and destruction that lies on his path now, he can only wonder what cosmic power he must have pissed off in his previous life to deserve this.

Yet, no matter how clearly Sardath saw through his false bravado during their conversation two weeks ago, there is one thing the Rannian was entirely wrong about: Things _have_ gotten hard and yet Adam did not run. No, he is still here, doing his damnedest to save the entire fricking universe, even if in this particular instance, he is not going to receive a single 'thank you' for his efforts. Not even from himself.

 _I was meant to be a hero._

Adam does not know what he is right now, but _hero_ is certainly not the word he would use.


End file.
